A block party of bears by Debora Hoffmann

How Do You Make a Teddy Bear?

And now for the second installment. The fur's been flying...the pieces have been cut out...what do you do with all those little pattern pieces?

Part II--Putting It All Together

"All those little pattern pieces" is right! The typical New Avenue Crew member is made from 21 pieces; 4 are pawpads. Debora has made a design--called a "rustic" bear--that has no pawpads, so only 17 pieces are used. Her kitties usually take a total of 38 pieces!

All those little pattern pieces must be joined together to form a body that is ready to be stuffed into shape and assembled. Out comes the sewing machine (or the needle and thread). Some bear makers are quite talented and actually enjoy sewing the entire teddy together by hand. Hand sewing is necessary for most miniature teds; there are some really tiny ones out there!

Debora prefers using a sewing machine to sew the pieces together. Ears, head, body, arms, and legs must be pinned, right sides together, and stitched. Openings are left for turning each piece right side out. Seams are combed with a metal comb to release trapped fur. This helps to make the seams less visible on the finished bear and shows that the bear maker has taken care with his or her creation.

When all pieces are sewn, turned, and combed, they are ready for stuffing and assembly. It's helpful to have all tools at hand at this stage. In the photo below, Debora?'s cousin Paige is ensuring all supplies are handy.

Paige and Debora in the park (1997)

Debora stuffs the bear's head next. It is important to stuff the nose area very tightly so that there is a good foundation for embroidering the nose later. Some bear makers use excelsior (also known as wood wool) in the nose tip. Debora likes to use polyester stuffing in the entire head, and uses two or three stuffing tools to get the shape she wants.

Max with bear-making supplies

There is a lot of finishing work that goes into a bear's head. Trimming, needle sculpting, embroidering the nose and mouth, maybe making a leather nose instead, sinking the eyes, sewing on the ears, shading the face... The head usually takes the most time to finish. Many collectors say the face is the most important part--it's what they fall in love with! Every bear maker has different finishing techniques, and each bear ends up with its own personality.

The photo below shows Debora in the process of embroidering the nose on Scone, a bear from 1997.

Debora and Paige working on Scone in the park

Once the bear's head is stuffed, it can be jointed to the body. Many bear makers like to joint the head before completing the face, but it's all personal preference. The method of jointing is also a matter of preference. Debora uses fiberboard disks and metal washers, sometimes with cotterpins, sometimes with bolts and locknuts. The photo below shows Debora making a hole in the neck area of the body piece in preparation for jointing Scone's head to his body.

Debora working on Scone on New Avenue

After the head is jointed to the body, the arms and legs can also be placed. Stuffing can now be completed using any combination of polyester stuffing, excelsior, plastic pellets, glass beads, or even steel shot. All stuffing openings need to be sewn closed with an invisible ladder stitch. Some bear makers add claws on the bear's paws. There are other techniques that bear makers like to use in finishing a bear, including sculpting or pulling toes and fingers. Some even add a tail!

A collectible teddy bear takes a lot of time and attention to complete. The most enjoyable part for Debora is seeing that sweet little face looking up at her when she's finished.

All finished!
Scone in the New Avenue garden

In part III, you can see another bear being made.